HMAS Newcastle’s ship’s Dive Team has earned a ‘Bravo Zulu’ from the Commander Joint Task Force 633 (CJTF633) while in the Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO), for conducting a complex underwater evolution to remove an obstruction from the Ship’s main propeller shaft.

Published on July 15, 2013 by LCDR David Ince (author), POMTO Chris Weissenborn (photographer)

CPOCD Darren Smith emerging from the water with an unexploded US 90mm shell for disposal.

Between 19 June and 5 July 2013, Australian Clearance Divers from the MCD Group, a part of an International Joint task Group headed up by the New Zealand Navy, were on the ground and in the waters around New Georgia to carry out Explosive Ordnance Disposal.

HMAS Newcastle’s ship’s company has battled through 35°C heat and 97% humidity to complete multiple replenishment operations with the United States Naval Service ship USNS Patuxent in the Gulf of Aden, in the Middle East Area of Operations.

Able Seaman Electronics Technician Jerrad Coomber and Leading Seaman Electronics Technician Matthew McKechnie-Cooke heaving in on the hose line with other members of ship's company backing them up.

Since her arrival in May, HMAS Newcastle (CMDR Paul O’Grady, CSM) conducted her third Replenishment at Sea (RAS) evolution in the Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO) with the French Navy’s FS Somme on 09 Jun 2013.

Ship's company show the Defence Force Remuneration Tribunal team some of the hard work involved with being at sea whilst conducting an Air Warfare Serial with the firing of the 5-inch gun in the Eastern Australian Exercise Area.

For the past five weeks HMAS Melbourne has conducted Unit Readiness (UR) level collective training in the East Area Exercise Area including a number of evaluations supervised by Sea Training Group (STG).